MoU renewed the University of Moratuwa and the South Asia Foundation for the establishment of UMCSAWM

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) (vaild for five intakes from the date of signing of the contract) between University of Moratuwa, and the South Asia Foundation Sri Lanka, for the establishment of UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Centre of South Asia Water Management (UMCSAWM) at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the South Asia Foundation Sri Lanka (SAF), a secular, non-profit and non-political organization, hereinafter referred to as the “SAF” on the one part,

AND

The University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, a University created by Universities Act No. 16 of 1978, located at Katubedda, Sri Lanka, hereinafter referred to as the “University”, on the second part (hereinafter the SAF and the University are together referred to as “Parties”)

Sets forth the agreements reached between the Parties relating to the establishment and implementation of the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Centre for South Asia Water Management (UMCSAWM) (hereinafter referred to as the “Centre”).

1.  Establishment of the Centre

1. The UMCSAWM shall be established at the University of Moratuwa with the support of the South Asia Foundation (SAF), with the objectives of promoting regional cooperation through South Asian Water Management Education.  The Centre shall offer Masters Degrees and/or Postgraduate Diploma Courses and Capacity Building Programs in suitable water management and will also conduct research in areas of relevance to South Asian Countries.
   
   
2. The University shall share, from its permanent faculty, five academic staff members (Senior Lecturer grade and above, inclusive of two Professors) who are employed from the funds provided by the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka (UGC), to carry out the activities of the UMCSAWM in addition to their normal duties at the University.
   
   
3. The Centre will offer at least eight (8) fully paid Madanjeet Singh Scholarships, including travel, board and lodging and tuition fees, to South Asian students, one from each of the eight SAARC countries- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
   
   
4. The Centre, while intimating the award of scholarship, must inform the selected scholar that he or she would be liable to refund the scholarship expenditure incurred on him/her in case the scholar discontinues studies in the middle, except under unavoidable reasons.  A decision on this would be taken by the SAF Chapter head based on the recommendation of the Chairman of the Centre.  The Chairman, for reasons to be recorded, discontinues the scholarship to a scholar if he/she is found to be delinquent towards studies and/ or his/her conduct is unbecoming.  The resultant vacancy may be filled up as may be appropriate and feasible.  The dismissal and the filling up resultant vacancies may be done only with the approval of the Chapter Head and in accordance with the criteria approved by the Board of Management of the Centre.

 2.  OBJECTIVES OF THE CENTRE

The UMCSAWM shall have two parallel approaches to achieve its cardinal objective of regional cooperation – one through academic studies and the other through research activities.  A multi-dimensional approach shall create a hub of scholars that specialize in Sustainable Water Resources Management studies in SAARC and other countries, and at the same time promote international convergence of Water Management expertise in Engineering, Irrigation, Hydrology, Climate Change, GIS, Sociology, etc.

 3.  ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

• The Board of Management

The Centre shall be administered by the Board of Management, the composition of which is as under:

• The Board of Management (BoM) shall be responsible for giving direction to the functioning of the Centre.  The Chairman of the Centre, in consultation with the Vice Chancellor, shall convene the BoM meetings as many times as may be required but it shall meet at least once in each year.  The meetings of the BoM can also be held through Tele-Conference mode. The Chairman shall present the Annual Report, the Audited Accounts and also present the next year’s Budget and Activity Plan for the approval of the BoM.  The Chairman of the Centre shall be responsible for the entire functioning of the Centre and all its academic and extracurricular activities including coordination of courses, fellowships and public relations.
  
  
• The quorum for a meeting of the Board of Management (BoM) shall be one-third of the total membership of the total membership of the Board.  The term of the membership of the BoM, other than ex-officio, shall be for one year, or the expiry of the MoU, whichever is earlier, and they shall be eligible for re-nomination or appointment, as the case may be.

 
 4.   ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

1. The academic staff shared with the Centre shall be assigned by the Vice-Chancellor with no additional expenditure to the Centre.  The administrative and support staff and other extra services may be funded by the Course Fees as practiced at the University of Moratuwa.

  5.  FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION OF SAF

1. The SAF undertakes to contribute an amount not exceeding US Dollars One Hundred Thousand (US $ 100,000) per student intake (which may be annual) towards the research, education and operation of the Centre. The release of funds in a year would not exceed the committed amount of US $ 100,000 or the expenses of the preceding student intake, whichever is less and the amount will be remitted to the designated UMCSAWM account.  The fund will normally be released by the first week of the month with each notification of the intake synchronizing with the commencement of the academic year of the Centre.  The interest earned on the funds shall be used only for the activities of the Centre and shall not be diverted to any other activity. 
   
   
2. All sanctions of expenditure after approval of budget by the Board of Management and the Council of the University shall be through the usual procedures adopted by the University as per University rules and regulations
   
   
3.  The Centre shall fully confirm to the Scholarship Implementation Regulations, as stipulated in para 9 of this MoU
   
   
4. The SAF Madanjeet Singh Group Scholarship Scheme shall be funded by the Madanjeet Singh Foundation (MSF).
   
   
   

 6.    PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION OF SAF FOUNDER

The University constructed a building for the Centre (UMCSAWM) for which SAF Founder UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Madanjeet Singh contributed an amount of US Dollars Five Hundred Thousand (US $ 500,000) and the remaining cost funded by the University of Moratuwa.  No expenditure on the maintenance or repairs of the building would be charged to the Scholarship funds of SAF.

 7.  SAF REGULATIONS

In conformity with the SAF Governing Council resolution adopted in 2002 at Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France, the SAF shall not fund any project without at least a matching contribution in cash or kind against its financial assistance.

Before receiving due payments of subsequent instalment of funds, UMCSAWM shall submit an Annual Audit Report and a Progress Report of the Centre to the SAF Trustees.  It is stipulated that SAF shall discontinue funding UMCSAWM in case the Centre fails to fully comply with the SAF’s cardinal objective of promoting regional cooperation as specified in this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

8.    UNIVERSITY’S CONTRIBUTION

 To match the SAF’s contribution and in conformity of the SAF Governing Council resolution of 2002, the University’s contribution shall be:

1. Provision of necessary space for construction of the Centre building.
2. Expansion and completion of the partly constructed Rock Mechanics Laboratory building and conversion to the UMCSAWM, using the personal contribution of the SAF Founder.
3. Sharing, from its permanent faculty, five academic staff members (Senior Lecturer grade and above, inclusive of two Professors) for the activities of UMCSAWM.
4. Provision of Internet, Library, on-line journal access, Sports, Medical Facility.
5. Recruitment of Administrative and support staff required, as in para 4 above.
6. Any other logistic support needed from time to time.

 9.  SCHOLARSHIP IMPLEMENTATION REGULATIONS

 i)    These Regulations are binding on the UMCSAWM and strict adherence to them is mandatory.

ii)   The grant of funds per student intake to SAF institutions of excellence shall be provided for covering the cost of eight SAF Madanjeet Singh Group Scholarships, (1 as the case may be, from each SAARC country).  The Group Scholarship Scheme has two components, namely, ‘Scholarship Expenses’ and the ‘Scholarship Related Expenses’ in the ratio of 70:30.   The expenditure on ‘Scholarship’ component comprises:

a)    Tuition Fees

b)    Examination Fees, if any

c)    Accommodation expenses

d)    Mess expenses

e)    Stipend

f)     Yearly To and fro travel of admitted students

g)    Special course expenses, if any

h)    Field Trips

i)      Any other related expenditure (to specify)

iii)  In the ‘Scholarship Related Expenditure’, component, which must not exceed 30% of the total expenditure annually incurred on SAF scholarships, comprise:

a)    Books and journals

b)    Computation expenses, if any

c)    Extension Lectures

d)    Workshops/ Seminars

e)    Expenses on account of Advisory Council Meetings

f)     Contingency expenses

g)    Any other related expenses (to specify)

iv) The Centre shall strictly adhere to the number of scholarships allotted, based on gender equality.  The principle is to have fair representation of all the chapters but if any Chapter is not represented for any reason, the Chapter head may permit students of other chapters to fill up the number but not exceeding the allotted number of students.  SAF scholarship funds should only be spent on scholarships and scholarship related expenses of SAF scholars and cannot be diverted or adjusted against any other purpose.

v)    No SAF funds can be spent on construction of buildings and on infrastructures such as purchase of equipment, repairs, maintenance, etc.

vi)   Any unspent amount of SAF grant in a given academic year, or interest earned on SAF funds during the year, shall be carried over to cover the cost of SAF Madanjeet Singh Group Scholarships / Scholarship Related Expenses during the subsequent student intake.

vii)  SAF financial installment for the subsequent student intake shalll be paid to the Centre on receipt of an authorized auditor’s report, giving the names of students on Madanjeet Singh Group Scholarships and itemized details of the expenditure incurred on each scholarship for a particular intake.

viii) The Centre shall send its respective annual audit reports to SAF-India chapter, New Delhi, for verification so that they conform to these Regulations before they are forwarded to MSF Trustees for release of funds for the next year.

ix)   In order to streamline the expenditure pattern, the following four formats are prescribed for submission by the Centre on line:

(i)      Format on scholar profile;

(ii)     Half Academic Yearly Format giving full details of expenses on ‘scholarship’ expenditure;

(iii)    Half Academic Yearly Format giving full details of ‘scholarship related expenditure’; and

(iv)   Utilization Certificate incorporating the ‘scholarship’ and the ‘scholarship related

        expenditure for the entire academic year.

  10.  OPERATIONALIZATION AND EARLY TERMINATION OF THE MOU

1. This MoU shall become effective on the date upon which the Parties append their signatures to it and continue to remain in force for a period of five academic intake years or until either Part notifies the other in writing, by giving at least a three-months prior notice of its intention to terminate the MoU.  The MoU may be extended for further terms on terms and conditions mutually agreed upon by SAF and the University.  The termination of this MoU, for whatever reason will not affect the rights of a Party which may have accrued as at the date of termination and will not further affect any rights which specifically or by their nature would survive pursuant to termination of this MoU.
   
   
2. It shall be the responsibility of the University that this MoU is subject to examination by the Authorities of the University in relation to the relevant laws of the land and its confirmation that it has obtained all the requisite approval necessary, including the UGC and Government of Sri Lanka, if deemed necessary or that it is exempt from any such approval.

 11.  VARIATION IN THE TERMS OF THE MOU

 The terms of the MoU may be modified, if and when required, by the consent in writing of the Parties.

In agreement of the above objectives and terms and conditions, this Memorandum of Understanding is hereby signed by the below mentioned Parties.

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